I Built a $10K/Month Income Stream Without Even Trying – Lori Ballen

I wasn’t trying to build a passive income machine. I was just helping people. Back when I was teaching real estate agents how to build websites, I shared everything I was using—email tools, CRMs, and plugins. One of those tools happened to have an affiliate program. I signed up, dropped the link into my training, and moved on. I didn’t track clicks. I didn’t promote it. I barely remembered it was there.

Then one day I got a check. Not huge at first—just a couple hundred bucks. But it kept coming. Every month. Because people kept using my tutorials to build their sites. And the plugin was part of the process.

Eventually, that check hit $2,000 a month. That was 2016. I thought I had peaked.

Now it’s over $10,000 a month. And I haven’t touched it in years.

The Accidental Setup That Worked

It worked because it wasn’t a pitch. It was a tool I was already using and teaching. Every agent who followed my system needed it. My content walked them through the exact steps. So naturally, they clicked my link. They trusted me. They were already sold.

That’s the kind of affiliate content that compounds.

Why This Keeps Growing Without Me

I wasn’t posting on social every day. I wasn’t running ads. I wasn’t making Reels about the tool. The content just lived—on my blog, inside my course, and in YouTube videos people still watch today. It stacked.
One click turned into ten. Ten turned into a hundred. That’s the power of stackable content. Create once. Get paid over and over.

The First $2K Felt Huge. Now It’s $10K+

I remember the feeling when I saw the first $2,000 deposit hit. I celebrated like I hit the lottery. What I didn’t realize is that was just the beginning. Because this type of income doesn’t stay flat—it compounds over time. The more content I put out, the more clicks. The more trust I built, the more people signed up.

What I’d Do Differently If I Started Over

I’d document more of what I use.
I’d make comparison pages and tutorials for SEO.
I’d track signups.
And I’d teach this sooner—because people want to know how to do it right.

Passive Income Isn’t Always Intentional—But It Can Be

This was a happy accident. But now I do it on purpose. Every time I share a tool, I check for an affiliate link. I build content around it. I lead with value. And I stack it in places where people are already looking for solutions.

You don’t need a launch. You need a system. This was mine. And it still pays me five figures a month.